East Stroudsburg South High School holds commencement exercises

East Stroudsburg High School South held its 2008 graduation ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 21, at the South Memorial Stadium.

East Stroudsburg High School South held its 2008 graduation ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 21, at the South Memorial Stadium.

Total Graduates: 365

Class song: "Time of Your Life," by Green Day

Class Motto: "We not only take with us memories for life, we leave behind impressions on eternity." Zachary Crusen Rickards, class of 2008 President

Class Flower: Rose

Speakers at Ceremony:

Zachary Crusen Rickards, Presidential Address

"During my college interview, a professor asked me to describe my class, our class, in one word. I chose diversity"

"We may be diverse, but we have unified here, in high school."

Superintendent Rachael Heath, Remarks from the Superintendent

"Believe in yourself, enjoy life, be persistent and cherish always, friend and friendship."

Notable Moments:

Kyle Patrick Hess, Vice President of the class of 2008, read the names of the present members of the East Stroudsburg High School class of 1958, recognized for the 50th anniversary of its commencement ceremony.

All members of the class of 2008 enlisting in the armed forces were recognized and asked to stand to applause from the faculty, staff, students and audience.

Darae F.T. Adams was awarded his diploma, accepted by his mother holding a framed photograph of him under her arm, during the ceremony. Adams was killed in a car accident on May 22 of this year.

Valedictorian Elizabeth Dumas joked during her speech about the district's $92 million renovations for a three-story wing to the old high school, visible from the stadium. Dumas said, "The Empire State Building took 14 months to complete. By those standards, the Maple Street Annex will be three times as spectacular."